Montgomery o



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MONTGOMERY C. MEIGS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

VALVE FOR HYDRANTS, &C.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,391, dated May 22, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MONTGOMERY C. MEIGS, civil engineer and architect, of Washington city, in the District of Columbia,

have invented a new and useful improve` and hydrants to be attached to the saine;`

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention or improvement consists in a new form of construction of a puppet valve by which a slow or gradual and regulated closing of a pipe conveying water or other liquid is secured in suoli manner as to combine the advantage of the puppet and the slide valves, also; and further, in the combination of this many way plug or conical valve with a serrated or perforated slide puppet valve for a hydrant so that the flow of water through ,the hydrant and the mains shall be commanded by the opening or closing of a single valve having two seats and moved by a single screw.

By this contrivance I am able to use a` larger valve for the hydrant without danger to the pipes from the effect of the momentum or shock of the water, and I gain the further advantage of economy in the cost of the stop-cocks and hydrants being able to combine them in a single case, work them by a single screw, and place them in a single well hole or stop-cock box covered by one iron plate at the intersection of any two streets. I thus dispense with several valves, well holes, iron covers and hydrants, and save the expense and inconvenience of their construction, establishment, and repair.

The drawings herewith will serve to show more particularly the nature of my invention or improvement.

Figure 1, is a section through the axis of the valve or stop-cock and hydrant. Fig. 2, is a section at an angle of 45 degrees with Fig. l, also through the axis and passing through the axis of one of the water pipes connected with the stop-cock or hydrant. Fig. 3, a plan of the top of the valve showing the serratures or notches as seen from above. Fig. 4, is a development of the surface of the upper or barrel portion of the valve showing one form of the notches or serratures for regulating the closing of the valve to prevent shock. Fig. 5, is a plan of the top of the hydrant showing the screw head, the stuffing box through which the screw passes, and the openings on the castiron head into which nozzles of different sizes fitted with screws to receive hose couplings may be secured with lead joints. Fig. 6, is a horizontal section through the valve seat in the plane of the axes of the distributing pipes or mains. Fig. 7 is a section of the valve showing a mode of securing the ears which working into grooves in the valve case prevent the valve from turning when the screw is turned. In these fi ures the various parts of the valve and hy rant are fully shown. All the above figures represent a stop valve and hydrant combined as iitted for the intersection of two four inch water pipes. Fig. 8, shows the same stopcock and hydrant combined as fitted for the intersection of a four inch and a six inch water pipe. Fig. 9, shows a similar stopcock and hydrant combined as itted for the intersection of two six inch mains or distributing pipes.

The same parts will be seen in all: the serrated slide puppet valve with the conical plug valve combined with it, the upper serratures or notches, the ring of leather or india rubber facing the upper valve seat and projectino' within it so as to rub against the va ve barrel, the lower conical valve seat which s lined with brass or composition and ground with the brass or composition covering of the conical plug of the valve, the openings for the attachment of different sized nozzles for hose couplings,

the bells for connectingthe water pipes and y the other parts as described.

Fig. l0 shows the application of the conical plug valve as a four or many way stopcock to be used when a hydrant is not desired in combination with it. This, however, it will be seen is so constructed as to permit the cover and Screw and valve to be withdrawn and the parts `necessary to complete the hydrant to be attached to the cross and valve seat without disconnecting the water pipes.

For sizes larger than six inch mains, I make the openings into the cross or lower valve seat oblong in form so as while preserving the full area of Water way of the pipesV to avoid making so large a valve as would be needed for example with eight Figs. 11, 12, 13, show the application of perforations instead of serratures or notches to the slide pupper valve as constructed4 when used for street drinking 'fountains or service hydrants. Fig. 14, shows a street drinking fountain or service hydrant complete as lit-ted up with the perforated slide puppet valve, and inserted in the lower part of a gas lightV post for street use. Figs. 11 to l14 are intended to show the 'second inode of constructing the slide puppet valve for regulating and governing the gra-duall stoppage without shock of the flow of water or closing the valve, that is to say, by using perforations of any suitable form, circular, or angular lat the end from which the water comes, and set, so las to close, not altogether but successively and thus gradually and gently arrest the flow yof water without the shock which is occasioned by the sud-den closing of the ordinary ilat seated puppet or conical valve as used by others in re hydrants and for :other purposes.

The parts are designated by letters, the same letters referring to the same parts in 'all the above igures. Their construction 'and operation are as follows:

a, a, a, a, represent Yfour openings itu-rn'ished with bells or sockets as in the lordinary lcast iron crosses as used in pipe work for the attachment of fourV brancheabut in my stop cock and hydrant these bells are attached to a pot or `case Iof 'cast iron or -other metal the lower part 'of which is Ina-de conical and generally lined with brass -for composition. It is of such 'form that it may be bored out and groundV with san-d or eimery so as to form a seat for a conical plug of s'uihcient size to fill it entirely iand make a watertight joint between the conical surfaces of the plug and of the pot-or case. This plug is represented by f, f; and g, g, is the screw which moves it up and down.

It will be seen by an inspection of the Efigures that when the conical plug f., f, is forced down into its se'atlby the 'screw y, g, all the l'our or more openings a, a, a, a, will be stopped so that no water can llow from the water pipes supposed to be inserted into the bells 'or sockets a, c, c, a, through the case -or 'pot in which they meet. It will be seen too that upon raising the conical plug f, f, by the screw g, g, the water will be free to flow out of or into any of these pipes through the conical pot which connects them. Thus by the action of a single screw lifting l or depressing la single plug valve four or more 1 Y waterpipes are stopped or opened at the same time. A cylindrical case of cast iron fb, b, or fof other met-al Vcast with and forming one;

piece with the conical pot and having a flange c, c, around its upper orifice for the attachmentolfa cover, e, with stutling box y, &c. as shown in'Fi'g. 10 completesV with the parts before described a four way stop cock suitable for use upon the intersection of distributing Vmains or pipes yfor distributing waterin Vcities or villages or buildings, and which will in practical use give as complete a command of the water in the four or more pipes meeting in the body of this stop cock as would be obtained by a number of stop cocks of the ordinary yconstruction equal to the number of pipes meeting in this four way conical plug screw valve or stop cock. This is the first part fof my invention or improvement. To complete it and form the f our or many way stop cock and hydrant combined, I place upon the upper part-'of 'the Vcylindrical case fb, fb, Figs. 1, 'and 2, 2&c. a pipe CVZ, d, having "a flange c je by which with screw bolts it is secured to the flange '0, 0. The upper part fof this pipe is enlarged and has in it a lstuflingbox y, y, through which the screw g g passes. Itrhas'also four or more openings h, h, 71 Zz., of proper size and form to re- -ceive screwed nozzles or other couplings for the attachment of four orfmore hose for the supply oi' lire engines Jor for the ldelivery of water without bengines when the head or pressure of the wat-'er is suiiicient for that purpose. Y

In are'cess at the bottom of this pipe d, d, is a ring packing of leather, india rubber or other suitable material w which is secured in place Aby ar ring of xmetal w, fw, held by screws. This packing ring vis Vflat and its opening is of smaller interior diameter than the opening in the metal seat upon which it rests and than the cylindrical part presently to be described of Vthe valve f, .7".

Cast with theconical plug f, f, :and forming a part of the valve is-an addition of which e i@ is a section. This portion of the valve is nearly cylindrical in form but is smaller at its upper end 'than at its base where it is attached to the upper base =of the conical plug f, 7C, `being cast in one piece with it. At e, a brass or composition ring is iirmly attached to the upper base olf-7", f, and being truly turned and iitte'd 'forms a puppet valve tace whose :seat 'is the packing ring a@ before described. The "cylindrical portion e, 7c, above this puppet valve tace is notched `or perforated as shown more clearly in the Fig. l which is a development oi" its cylindric sur/face. The notches extend trom the upper base of the cylindrical part of the valve to 'por near to the .plane of the brass or 'composition ring e, e. Now as 'the whole valve 7 17",@ lo, 'e 7c, is raised by the screw g, g, the upper portion of this cylinder will .first enter the opening of th'e packing ring fad rv and obstruct the flow oi' water by diminishing the area for its passage `from the case b, b, to the pipe d, CZ, through x, As is of smaller interior diameter than the larger and lower part of the surface e, c, the edge of the packing ring will press against the surface e lf: and prevent the flow of water except through the openings which the notches e e afford. The water finding a smaller passage will by the effect of the principle of Vconservation of forces move with increased velocity through these openings but the velocity of the larger streams in the main pipes will be gradually reduced by the resistance which the water meets with in passing with increased velocity through the diminished area of water way afforded by these notches.

By varying the form of the notches the rate at which the water is checked and gradually brought to a state of rest can be varied. Those shown in the figures referred to are found in practice to be effective. 1f all these notches terminated with their lower angles at the same level with reference to the brass ring or valve face e, c, it is evident that in the gradual lifting of the valve f by the screw g g they would all reach the edge of the packing ring m at the same moment and be thus all closed at the same instant of time. This would produce too great a shock by suddenly stopping the flow of water in the mains and therefore these notches are made to terminate at different heights or levels above the valve face c c and thus instead of being all closed at once they are closed in succession. The result` of this contrivance is that a puppet valve of 6.1; inches in diameter thus arranged can be closed when the water is in full play under a head of over one hundred and twenty feet rushing through the hydrant with great velocity without any injurious shock upon the pipes, but with the same safety as an ordinary slide valve on a cylindric pipe and with greater safety than the common leather conical valve of two or three inches diameter in common use upon fire plugs. This I believe has never before been accomplished and this is I believe an important and valuable improvement in the construction of valves or stop cocks.

The various figures represent as herein described the application of this valve which I call a slide puppet valve to hydrants placed upon pipes of various sizes and require no more particular description except Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14.

Like parts are indicated by like letters throughout.

Figs. 1l, 12, 13, 14 re resent the application of the same princip e for regulating the gradual stoppage of the How of water to avoid shock to a smaller valve, though it may be constructed of any size desirable. In this case the improvement is applied t0 a service hydrant.

The valve is a hollow cylinder with a flange at its lower end turned and litted to make a water tight joint upon a leather packing ring. The water enters into this hollow cylinder through four or more holes or perforations which are shown more plainly and on a larger scale in Fig. 13 which is a development of the cylindric surface of the valve. o, n, c, are the openings through which the water enters. They are angular in form at the lower ends, and as the drawing shows terminate at different heights above the valve face e, e, so as to be closed successively as the valve rises to its seat and thus arrest the flow of water gradually and without shock.

-lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination of a barrel or slide having the contrivance for regulating the flow of water through the barrel or slide by means of serratures or notches or perforations of proper form and extending to and terminating at dierent depths or heights above the seat of the puppet valve, with the puppet valve forming a slide puppet valve.

2. The combination of the conical plug or many way valve used as a stop-cock for governing the distribution and flow of water at the intersection of two or more water mains or distributing pipes, with the serrated or perforated slide puppet valve for a hydrant-t-he valves thus combined into one being lifted and depressed by a single screw.

3. The combination and arrangement of the various parts into a many way stop cock and hydrant or fire plug substantially as described and set forth.

M. C. MEIGS.

lVitnesses JNO. EDwD. GONLAND, J. N. MAcoMB. 

